In the End
by Dr. Emma Hamish Winchester
Summary: At the end of his conversation with Luke on Endor, Vader receives a visit from someone he did not expect. ONE-SHOT. Focuses on Vader's inner turmoil and increasing pull to the light. Please read and review.


A/N: I wrote this ages ago when I was on a one-shot kick, and now I'm publishing it. So... yeah, pretty much what it says in the summary: Luke purposely let himself be captured on Endor so that he could talk to his father. After he leaves, Vader is confronted by another face from his past. We begin at the end of his conversation with Luke...

I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

* * *

Luke approached him, "Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you; let go of your hate!"

Vader watched his son sadly. Luke was a good man, far better than he could ever be. Even after everything he had done, Luke was still willing to forgive him, to welcome him back with open arms. But he was wrong. There could be no redemption. It had been too long, he had done too much. He hated Palpatine, but he had nothing else; he had killed, hurt or destroyed everything and everyone that he had ever loved or believed in. He was a monster, undeserving of redemption. Where would he even go if he did somehow escape the dark side? It wasn't like the rebels would be thrilled to see him. No. He was sorry to do this, especially to Luke, but his destiny was fixed. He had no choice, "It is… too late for me, son." He gestured, summoning some Stormtroopers, "The Emperor will show you the true nature of the dark side. He is your Master now." At least this way Luke would be alive.

Luke stared at him with disappointment, "Then my father is truly dead." The betrayal on his face hurt, although Vader couldn't manage to fathom why it was there. When had he ever given the boy hope of anything better? He was weak, compassionate. Luke's feelings for his father would be his downfall.

Why did that bother him?

Vader watched as Luke was marched off by Stormtroopers, afterwards walking over to the railing to look out at the forest, thinking, trying to make some sense of his mind, some sense out of the labyrinthine, tangled mess that had been slowly building ever since he had learned of the existence of his son.

A familiar voice came from behind him, "So, what do you think?" No… not now. He didn't need this now.

Vader didn't bother facing it, "What are you doing here?"

Even without looking, he could picture Obi-Wan's expression. It was too easy to imagine, too familiar. The Force-ghost spoke, "I am trying to stop you from doing something that you'll regret."

"You're wasting your time. You heard me before, talking to Luke, it is too late for me."

Obi-Wan smiled, "The fact that you can say that proves you wrong." He paused, "What are you doing? Luke loves you! He is determined of your goodness. Will you throw that away? Anakin, you are being a fool!"

Vader turned around, staring into the other's face, "You are the fool, still pleading with your dead friend. Anakin Skywalker was weak, hindered by useless rules and sentiment. I killed him."

The other nodded, "Once I was content to believe that. I told myself that same lie, used it to survive, just as you are doing. I even repeated it to Luke. But it is a lie. Your son is right, there is good in you. You will see it yet."

"No."

* * *

Obi-Wan gave an exasperated sigh. Why was he always like this? "Anakin…"

"Stop calling me that."

Frustrated, the older man yelled back, "Well, stop being so stubborn!"

"Well, stop talking to me!"

"Well, why don't you just listen to me for once in your life!"

"No!"

There was a pause, Obi-Wan getting deja-vu. It was strange, the number of arguments he could remember like this, that had ended in them pointlessly yelling at each other. It strengthened his determination, his resolve that the thing in front of him was no longer pure Vader. That was Anakin inside that suit, frightened and broken, angry and confused, and he could be saved. He was going to be saved. Anakin no longer had any say in the matter. Obi-Wan no longer cared if he had to drag him back by the hair, kicking and screaming. He was coming back.

He was reminded of back when Anakin was twelve, when he had suddenly decided he hated authority of any kind, yelled, "You're not in charge of me!" and slammed his bedroom door. On that occasion, Obi-Wan had simply followed him in and fussed at him until he came to his senses. It was a scene that had been frequently repeated throughout his teenage years.

He wished it were still that simple. Unfortunately, there was a difference between himself as a twenty-two-year-old knight trying to control an obstinate twelve-year-old Jedi padawan, and himself as a fifty-six-year-old Force-ghost trying to control an equally obstinate forty-six-year-old Sith Lord.

Frustrated, he spoke, "Do you think this is what Padme would have wanted?"

He couldn't see his friend's face, but he could picture the pained expression beneath the mask, "Don't bring her into this."

"You know it isn't. This isn't what she died for!"

"She betrayed me!"

"No. No, Anakin, she didn't. I stowed away on her ship. She didn't know I was there. She loved you, even then."

"Be quiet."

"She never stopped loving you."

"I said. Shut. Up!"

"Do you know what her last words were? She begged me, begged me, to believe in you. She insisted there was still light!"

"QUIET!" Vader lifted a hand in a choking gesture, in the manner that had become habit over the years when he was irritated. There was no effect. He couldn't stop the ghost.

Obi-Wan sighed, "She and Luke are very much alike."

Vader's hand dropped, and he turned back to lean on the railing, "I know they are…" There was a long pause. Finally the dark figure spoke, "He has her eyes."

Really? Obi-Wan had only noticed how much the boy looked like Anakin, to the point that he had nearly said the wrong name on more than one occasion. He was pretty sure those were Anakin's eyes he had seen, but then guilt could do strange things to perception, "I'm sorry. That must be hard."

"I can't- Those eyes staring out at me- I hate them."

"Why?"

"Because they make me weak."

"They wake you up, don't they? They make you remember who you really are."

Vader straightened, turning to face the Jedi, "This is who I am. Anything else you may see is pure delusion."

He turned and walked off toward the exit. He was stayed by Obi-Wan's voice behind him, "You are wrong. You will see it… soon."

Vader paused, then left, his cape sweeping dramatically out behind him.


End file.
